Mythbusting for Court Reporting

What do you think when we say we’re court reporters? You might think we listen to recordings and type all day. You may think we’re locked in a courtroom clicking away. You may even wonder if we’re a dying breed. We’re here to tell you none of those ideas are accurate. Let’s do some mythbusting for court reporting!

Myth #1 Anyone can be a court reporter.

While we’d like to think you can be anything you set your mind to, the reality is that it’s not true. You’ve got to have the skills for your chosen profession.

In fact, a challenge faced by court reporting schools is the number of students who drop out of the program because they’re overwhelmed or simply don’t have the skills needed. Not everyone has qualities of court reporters including focus, attention to detail, mental toughness, promptness, maturity, and professionalism. If you’ve got the skills, it can be a lucrative and rewarding career!

Myth #2 Court reporting is a dying profession.

There’s a misconception that court reporters are being replaced by voice recognition technology and there’s little need for us anymore. The truth is the technology isn’t as accurate as having a court reporter but in many places they have to settle for what they can get. Voice recognition is cheaper than paying a reporter but the more likely reason a court is using digital recording is that there aren’t any reporters available.

There’s a court reporter shortage.

While there are less of us working in the legal field, there are opportunities in the business world and there aren’t enough of us to meet the demand. By 2018, there will be a shortage of at least 5,000 reporters across the country, including an estimated shortage of 80 or more in Oklahoma alone. [Source]

Myth #3 There aren’t any good reporters in our area.

It may not be as simple as placing an ad for a reporter but there are agencies like ours that specialize in recruiting qualified certified reporters. In spite of the shortage, we’re dedicated to finding the person for your legal or business needs.

Our services include live depositions, real-time court reporting, and legal videography using the best reporters in the business. We’re here to help!

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[…] detail, punctual, organized, accurate and fast transcription – many people don’t know the benefits of being a court reporter. Because there is such a high demand and low supply of reporters, the earning potential right out […]